Are dogs red-green colour blind?
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Level 5 according to CEBM guidelines (animal behavioral/perceptual experiment).
PubMed 29291080 · doi:10.1098/rsos.170869
What was done
Dogs were assessed for color vision using an adapted version of the Ishihara test, a diagnostic tool typically used to detect deuteranopia (red-green color blindness) in humans.
What was found
The authors report that dogs exhibited behavioral responses similar to those of human subjects with red-green color blindness. The abstract provides no quantitative data, sample size, or test statistics.
Why it matters
The study offers behavioral evidence supporting prior neurobiological and molecular indications of canine dichromacy, and introduces a modified Ishihara method for evaluating animal color vision.
Limits
The abstract lacks all quantitative data, sample size numbers, breed breakdown, and specifics on controls or testing protocols. Results reflect animal behavioral performance rather than direct perceptual reporting.
Cited by
- supports Dogs perceive colors similarly to red-green colorblind humans, seeing red and green as brownish-orange.